After reading a letter from someone she has never met, Gemma Moreno is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity that could change her life forever. Torn between accepting an offer she knows she will never be able to repay, Gemma needs to decide if...
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I feel as if I am spinning out of control, tumbling down a dark hole with no way out. How is it possible that the only guy I have developed any sort of feeling for in years has a picture of one of the people I hold closest to my heart.
As if a freezing bucket of water spilled over his head, Zach's tall frame goes rigid, and a crease starts to form between his brows. "Connor is, and will always be my best friend."
Quickly glancing down at the mess I made on the floor, I say, "I'm sorry about your floor, but I have to go."
Moving as if my life depends on it, my short legs make a dash for the door, and as it slams, I hear Zach yell my name.
Once I'm safely in my car, I bang my hands repeatedly against the steering wheel and let out a gut-wrenching cry. My tight chest feels as if it is about to burst, and my breaths become deep with pain. My sobs become soft whimpers as I rest my head against the wheel, desperately trying to process what just happened.
When I hear my passenger door open, I snap up and quickly wipe away the evidence of my breakdown.
Sliding across the leather seat, Zach places my bag on the center console before staring absentmindedly out the windshield. "I take it you knew Connor?"
Just hearing his name roll off Zach's tongue causes moisture to pool in the corner of my eyes. I nod my head and bite so hard on my bottom lip that I begin to taste the familiar metallic tang of blood on my tongue. "Yes... I mean, no."
Zach faces me with an arched brow, "Then how do you know who he is?"
Using the back of my hand, I wipe away the silent tears rolling down my cheek. "It's complicated." A part of me is still embarrassed about how my relationship with The Newman's came to be, and I have conflicting feelings on sharing that information with him. With a defeated sigh, I whisper, "He saved my life, I owe everything to him."
"I don't understand."
There is no way around it; I have to tell him the truth. Trying to figure out how to explain my story, my leg starts to take on a mind of its own and begins to bounce. Zach reaches out and plants his palm on my knee and starts to rub comforting strokes with his thumb. The moment he makes contact, I feel a surge of electricity flow through my body, confirming my heart's intuition. "I know about Connor through Adele and Bruce."
The silence surrounding us is unsettling, the air becomes stiff, and the close confines of the car causes warmth to spread across my body.
Zach swallows so hard, his Adam's apple bobs. "I'm going to need a moment to process this. I wasn't expecting you to know about my dead best friend."
Shocked by his use of words, my mouth drops to the floor. "That was a little crass, don't you think?"
Shrugging his broad shoulders, he looks over to me with a sparkle in his eyes. "It's just the way we were. I don't expect you to understand, not yet at least."
